Craig Anderson, PhD Biography

Title:

Director of the Center for the Study of Violence

Position:

Pro
to the question
"Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?"

Reasoning:

“The results, overall, have been fairly consistent across types of studies (experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal) and across visual media type (television, films, video games). There is a significant relation between exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior. Exposing children and adolescents (or ‘youth’) to violent visual media increases the likelihood that they will engage in physical aggression against another person. By ‘physical aggression’ we mean behavior that is intended to harm another person physically, such as hitting with a fist or some object. A single brief exposure to violent media can increase aggression in the immediate situation. Repeated exposure leads to general increases in aggressiveness over time. This relation between media violence and aggressive behavior is causal.”

Member, Committee on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media, American Psychological Association, 2005

Recipient, Iowa State University Foundation Outstanding Achievement in Research Award, 2004

Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, Iowa State Univeristy, 1999-2005

Executive Council, International Society for Research on Aggression, 1997-2007

Professor of Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1992-1999

Recipient, Grant from Nintendo of America, Inc., 1990-1991

Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1988-1992

President, Society of Southwestern Social Psychologists, 1986-1987

Associate Professor of Psychology, Rice University, 1985-1988

Visiting Professor of Psychology, Ohio State University, 1984-1985

Assistant Professor of Psychology, Rice University, 1980-1985

Education:

PhD, Psychology, Stanford University, 1980

MA, Psychology, Stanford University, 1978

BA, cum laude, Psychology and Sociology, Butler University, 1976

Other:

Consulted with the office of Illinois Governor Blagojevich’s and testified in the court case involving legal challenges to the 2005 Illinois law requiring parental consent for minors to buy violent video games.

Testified at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on “The Impact of Interactive Violence on Children,” Mar. 21, 2000

Fellow, American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology, 1995

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